Fregene:
Mastino

A weird, large place that was empty when we arrived, but they still asked if we had a reservation. Tasty food. Staff enjoys making fun of the guests.

Directions: At the far northern end of Fregene.

We went to Mastino based on the N.Y. Times article of Fregene that appeared last July. We were staying in Fregene for the night before leaving from FCO the next day. Mastino is at the far northern end of Fregene.

Easy to find, despite the fact that the several miles of beach are lined from one end to the other with restaurants. When we arrived off-season at this large, empty place, we were asked if we had a reservation. We had none, but were seated in the middle of a sizable room that is probably packed in prime time. We reviewed the menu, questioned the waiter about a few items, and then gave our order.

Some of it arrived; part never did. One gets the impression that the waitstaff spends more time making fun of the patrons than it does attempting to please them. Our food was tasty enough, but it seemed clear that service was not Mastino's strong suit. The ambience is that of a large tent with no decoration. Our check came to only 34 euros, but that was because they forgot part of our order. We had no interest in staying long enough to bring that to their attention.

My guess is that those overnighting in Fregene would be best served avoiding the beachside restaurants and seeking their fare "inland". We stayed at the Golden Beach Hotel and probably would have been wiser to get a restaurant recommendation from Anna Maria, the proprietor.

This review is the opinion of a Slow Travel member and not of slowtrav.com.